The Scrutiny Children & Young People Sub-Committee met on Tuesday 16 July 2024 to discuss the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's findings regarding a case of fault causing injustice, the Youth Justice Plan for 2024/25, and the Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard. The Sub-Committee also reviewed its work programme for the upcoming year.

Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman Decision Finding of Fault Causing Injustice and Action Plan to Prevent Reoccurrence

The Sub-Committee reviewed a report detailing the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman's (LGSCO) decision concerning Child B and his mother, Ms M. The LGSCO found the Council at fault for failing to consider its duty under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to provide alternative education for Child B when Ms M stated he was too ill to attend school. This failure caused injustice to Child B, who was without suitable education between September 2021 and September 2022. The Council has apologised to Ms M and Child B and made a symbolic payment of £5,000. An action plan has been developed to embed lessons learned, including making the Council's policy on children unable to attend school due to medical needs publicly available and ensuring staff awareness. The Sub-Committee was asked to monitor the implementation of this action plan.

Concerns were raised about the reoccurrence of similar faults, despite previous assurances that lessons had been learned. The report highlighted that in the current case, the SEN department failed to inform the Access to Education team that Child B was out of school, leading to the oversight. The Council has since strengthened processes, including regular conversations with headteachers and distribution of the relevant policy. The Sub-Committee heard that the child in question is now attending school.

Members discussed the importance of incorporating the voice of the child and parents into the Council's processes. The Council is looking at establishing a 'Shadow Board' of children and young people to provide a direct channel for their views. The Director of Education offered to provide a briefing on the SEND Strategy and the Locality SEN Support offer. The Sub-Committee concluded that SEND provision in the borough needs to be a greater area of focus in its work over 2024/25.

Youth Justice Plan 2024/25

The Sub-Committee reviewed the draft Youth Justice Plan for 2024/25, which forms part of the Council's Budget and Policy Framework. The plan outlines the strategic and operational objectives for the Youth Justice Service and its partners. Key areas discussed included learnings from the previous year, such as training around domestic abuse and safeguarding, and improvements in identifying and intervening with young people involved in serious youth violence.

Risks to the delivery of the plan were identified as resourcing and staff retention. The plan also addresses the ongoing challenge of serious youth violence and competing priorities around public protection and safeguarding. Progress has been made with the 16+ youth not in employment, education or training (NEET) cohort, focusing on life skills and interview preparation.

A significant point of discussion was the issue of disproportionality, particularly concerning Black boys and young people in the care system. The Sub-Committee referenced the 2017 Lammy Review and discussed the need for improved Black male representation within the Youth Justice Team. The Council's blind recruitment process was noted, alongside efforts to encourage a wider pool of applicants.

The plan also details the Youth Justice Service's vision of a 'Child First' approach, emphasising respect, individual needs, and the voice of the child. This includes a commitment to trauma-informed practice and a relational approach. The strategy aims to address the overrepresentation of certain groups, particularly Black and mixed-heritage boys, and children who are looked after.

The Sub-Committee heard about the comprehensive workforce development plan and the training offered to staff. The plan also highlights the importance of partnership working with statutory organisations and Voluntary and Community Sector Groups. The Cabinet Member for Community Safety praised the Youth Justice team's collaboration on the Youth Safety Plan and the Safer Croydon Partnership.

The Sub-Committee concluded that the Youth Justice Plan 2025/26 should include additional evaluation through hypothetical case studies and tracking of service users' life paths. Recommendations were made to include these case studies and information on high-risk young people's progression into higher education and employment.

Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard (April 2024)

The Sub-Committee received the Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard for April 2024. Discussions focused on indicator M37, concerning the percentage of children subject to a Child Protection Plan for a second or subsequent time. It was acknowledged that this is a persistent 'Red' indicator, monitored closely at director level. Consideration is being given to whether the target of 22% is appropriate, with ongoing challenge from the Performance Analyst.

The Director of Quality, Commissioning & Performance explained that a firm prediction for improvement is difficult as it depends on individual children's circumstances and the risks involved in each case. Work is progressing with Islington Partners in Practice, and cases take time to close. The current performance is at 23%, and it is hoped this can be sustained.

Safeguarding was emphasised as the first priority, with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) not influencing decisions about whether a child needs to be on a child protection plan. The complexities of benchmarking data were discussed, noting that statistical neighbours may have different demographics and funding.

Concerns were raised about the risks associated with longer child protection plans, with the quality of challenge in reviews and multi-agency work being highlighted as vital. The Director of Children's Social Care acknowledged that in some cases, the work during initial plans had not been as effective as it could have been. There are currently over 600 children on child protection plans, which is higher than neighbouring boroughs. Children on a child protection plan require a visit every 10 days, and those on a child in need plan require a visit every 20 days. Work is underway to improve performance on child in need plans.

Indicator W1a, concerning higher caseloads, was attributed to increased demand, despite additional capacity. Factors contributing to this include housing insecurity, the post-COVID impact on family functioning, and the economic downturn, all of which negatively affect parent and child mental health and exacerbate domestic violence cases. Croydon's high proportion of temporary housing and the placement of families from other boroughs have led to greater demand for child in need services.

The Corporate Director of Children, Young People & Education assured the Sub-Committee that figures are monitored rigorously, but also informed by national issues and funding availability. The Chair acknowledged this but raised concerns about the number of caseloads given the complexities involved for each child. The Director of Children's Social Care responded that overall average caseloads for June 2024 had reduced to 22.7 following the provision of additional resource.

The Sub-Committee recommended that persistent absence data be added as an indicator to the Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard.

Scrutiny Work Programme 2024-25

The Sub-Committee noted the draft work programme for 2024-25 and discussed potential additions. These included an update report on the implementation of the action plan following the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman decision, a review of the indicators on the Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education Dashboard (specifically M37), and the possibility of adding the SEND Strategy to the work programme following a briefing.

The Sub-Committee also discussed arranging a tour of a Family Hub in early September 2024 and a briefing on the SEND Strategy and Locality SEN Support offer for late September 2024. It was also noted that the Sub-Committee was keen for the police to attend the September 2024 meeting to discuss the Croydon Safeguarding Children Partnership Annual Report. The Chair commented on the potential need for better auditing of the available offer for young people in different localities and with varying needs.